


Hanakotoba

by ForensicSpider98



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Ghost! Lance, Japanese Culture, Language of Flowers, Light Angst, M/M, Sad Ending, ghost au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2019-10-04
Packaged: 2020-12-01 20:21:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20888177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForensicSpider98/pseuds/ForensicSpider98
Summary: "He Came With The Piano"Shion, for remembranceTsubaki, to perish with grace, my loveSakura, for life is transcientKuroyuri, for our love is cursedSagisō, for I think of you in your dreamsSuītopī, because soon I must say goodbyeWasurenagusa, and love me truly





	Hanakotoba

He came with the piano, in the middle of Winter. Some cosmic accident, Keith supposed. Or something.

“I like your place.” A bright voice rang out in the empty house. Keith stared at the pale blue form. “I’m stuck here for a bit. I hope you don’t mind.”

It was a boy, maybe eighteen. Tall and slender, smiling. A smattering of freckles shone luminescent on his pale blue cheeks. Like little stars, Keith thought.

“I’m sorry, but…what are you?”

“A ghost. I died here, at the piano. Two weeks ago. Cancer. I won’t be here long. I’ve only got year and a day…How do I know that?” The boy looked confused.

“Ghost magic?” Keith choked, trying not to panic. The boy brightened instantly.

“Oh, yes! I suppose you’re right!”

Keith, terrified but not sure what to do, resumed settling into his new house. The ghost babbled the entire time. It was exceptionally irritating, but it seemed there was nothing to be done. 

Or at least, nothing Keith had the heart to do. He supposed he could throw the piano outside, or sell it to someone else, but...How could he evict a teenage ghost like that? Even thinking about it broke his heart. It just felt  _ wrong _ .

“What’s your name?” the ghost asked, breaking through Keith’s thoughts with something of actual importance.

“Keith.”

“I’m Lance. Nice to meet you.” Keith said nothing. He wasn’t thrilled with his new roommate, but didn’t have the heart to say so.

Keith kept the piano. To tie the room together, he supposed. Or something.

…

Keith left the bay windows open, come Spring. Because it was nice out, he supposed. Or something.

“Do you like Spring?” Lance asked from the piano. “I always did. Mama always planted the prettiest flowers near my window.”

“I guess.” Keith planted another shion. “It’s nice weather.”

“You should plant some tsubaki. Near your sakura tree.”

“Why?”

“No reason.” Keith scowled. He considered closing the window. All Lance did was babble and be intrusive. To be fair, he didn’t have much else to do.

“Then why did you ask? Why are you even here? Don’t you have unfinished business or something?” 

“I’m stuck to this piano. It’s where I died. And yes.”

“Well, get on with it. You’re annoying.” Keith scowled at the earth.

“Sorry. I was sick most of my life. I feel better now, but I spent most of my life alone. To be honest, I was happy to make a new friend, someone new to talk to…To fall in love.”

“What?” Keith’s head shot up.

“Why I’m still here. You asked. Silly, isn’t it?”

“…Oh.” Keith turned back to his work. “I guess it is.”

“Keith?”

“Yeah?”

“Will you move my bench outside? Just for a little while?”

“It’s going to rain soon.”

“Please? Just for a little while?”

“…Fine.” Keith sat back on the grass, watching Lance hold out his hands and watch the cherry blossoms fall through his fingers and palms. The boy grinned, utterly delighted. Keith felt a tiny ache in his heart.

“Keith?”

“Yeah?”

“What do they feel like? The petals.”

“Oh. Like...velvety? They’re soft, sometimes waxy, depending on what flower it is.”

“It sounds nice.”

“...Yeah. Yeah, it is.”

The first drop of rain landed on Keith’s cheek. A few passed through Lance’s form. Lance laughed, enchanted.

Keith planted the tsubaki. Because they were pretty, he supposed. Or something.

…

Keith left the bay windows open. He wasn’t sure why. To let in the warmth, he supposed. Or something.

“Do you like Summer? I always did.” Lance leaned over the window ledge to watch him work the garden. He’d been delighted when Keith began leaving his bench against the wall beneath the sill.

“It’s alright. Hot.”

“That’s why I liked it. It was always sunny somewhere in my house. I could pretend I was outside, and I wouldn’t get as cold. I used to get so cold…Keith?”

“…Yeah?”

“Would you move my bench outside? Just for a little while? It’s getting dark. I’ve always wanted to watch the fireflies.”

“…Okay.” Keith watched the fireflies drifting through Lance’s form. Something in his eyes stung at Lance’s delighted smile.

“Keith, they like me!”

“Yeah, because you’re all glowy and stuff.”

“Do they feel warm? I always wondered, but it felt silly to ask.”

“No. They don’t really feel like anything.”

“My brother told me once that if you squish them while they’re lighting up, it makes a glowy paste.” Keith laughed, the first time in a long, long while.

“I’m not squishing anybody tonight, Lance. Sorry.” Lance giggled.

“You should plant some kuroyuri. There, around the maple tree. They’d look nice there, I think.”

Keith wasn’t sure why he planted the kuroyuri. Because they’d look nice there, he supposed. Or something.

…

Keith left the bay windows open. To let in the Autumn breeze, he supposed. Or something.

“Do you like Autumn? I always did.” Lance mused from the window, watching Keith rake the leaves falling from the Japanese maple. “I always wanted to jump in a pile of leaves.”

“Why? They’re slimy and wet.” Lance giggled, shrugging.

“I dunno. The experience? Everyone else got to do it.” 

“Should’ve stuck with your chemo.” Keith winced. Lance seemed unbothered.

“It didn’t help. Just kept me around longer. I got...tired? So, I stopped. I wanted to live, if just for a little bit…Why are you always grumpy?” Keith began scooping up leaves for the composter.

“Why are you always cheerful?”

“Because if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have anything left.”

“…Oh.”

“You should put a sagisō on the piano.”

“…Okay.”

“Keith?”

“Lance?” Keith asked, smiling.

“Will you take my bench outside so the leaves can fall through me?”

“…” Keith swallowed. “Of course.”

Keith wasn’t sure why he bought a sagisō in the middle of Autumn. Because the piano could use it, he supposed. Or something.

…

Keith knew why he left the bay windows open come Winter. The snow was coming down. It really was something.

“Do you like winter? I always did.” Lance asked, reaching out to let the snow fall through his hand. “Is it cold?”

“It’s frozen water.” Keith kept shoveling the walkway.

“Is it soft? I always imagined it would be soft.”

“No, it’s crunchy.”

“Oh.”

Keith set his shovel aside and brought Lance outside, the same as every day before. It had been a while since Lance had needed to ask. Lance smiled, oddly sad.

“Keith?”

“…Yeah?”

“When Spring comes, will you plant some suītopī for me?”

“…Okay.”

“Promise you’ll take good care of all our flowers for me?”

“…I promise.”

“Thank you, Keith.”

“You’re welcome, Lance.”

Keith wasn’t sure why he cried when the piano was vacant come morning. Because he was heartbroken, he supposed. Or something.

...

When Spring came again, Keith planted the suītopī, as promised.

...

In the middle of the patch, a single wasurenagusa bloomed, happy, smiling, and blue.


End file.
